The Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge has become one of the most popular attractions in Northern Ireland. This experience allows the tourist to not only see Northern Ireland’s beauty but also experience it first hand in a fairly safe (but still exhilarating) adventure.
The Rope Bridge was originally hung by salmon fishers as they traversed to a smaller island 20 metres off shore to check their salmon nets. The original rope bridge was a single rope hand rail. The current rope bridge is a two hand railed rope bridge however this does not prevent it from swaying from side to side when the wind blows!
To some visitors shock, the Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge is not open all year round. The rope bridge is hung from March to October and is open 10 am to 6 pm (slightly longer opening hours in the summer). However, if the weather makes the rope bridge unsafe, it will be closed for safety reasons even during its opening hours. However, the car park and the coastal walk down to the bridge are open all year round. Fees are £4.00 for adults, £2.00 for children and £10.00 for families.
Most visitors only here about the Rope Bridge Experience, however the short walk to the Rope Bridge is an experience itself due to the gorgeous views, flora and fauna on display. Even if you do not have the courage to queue to cross the rope bridge, the walk down is a beautiful experience of its own. On clear days, you will see Rathlin Island and also some of the Scottish islands.
What some miss is the viewpoint of the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge approximately 2 minutes from the entrance to the actual attraction (on the Belfast side of the Rope Bridge). This vantage point is certainly worth a picture stop and also to warm up your legs for the short walk to come!
A negative point to the Rope Bridge is that this attraction is never just yours alone, and you will need to share this experience with many other tourists like yourself. You probably will need to queue in order to cross the Rope Bridge! This comment is true for most attractions in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland as, especially in the high tourist season, the main attractions are swamped with tourists. If you would like to miss the main tourist rush, you could consider planning your trip so that you visit before or after the main season (ie. April or September); the weather is fairly amenable in those months and most of the attractions will be open for business.
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The Rope Bridge was originally hung by salmon fishers as they traversed to a smaller island 20 metres off shore to check their salmon nets. The original rope bridge was a single rope hand rail. The current rope bridge is a two hand railed rope bridge however this does not prevent it from swaying from side to side when the wind blows! 
What some miss is the viewpoint of the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge approximately 2 minutes from the entrance to the actual attraction (on the Belfast side of the Rope Bridge). This vantage point is certainly worth a picture stop and also to warm up your legs for the short walk to come!